RIP…

This week was a sobering time for me as two people who were a part of my life passed away unexpectedly. Neither of these two people knew me, but they did impact my life in two very different ways, at two very different stages of my life. One was British singer Davy Jones, and the other was online media creator and political commentator Andrew Breitbart.

While in elementary school, my brother and I would get off the bus and after dropping our books somewhere, hanging up our coats, changing into play clothes and grabbing a snack, we’d turn on Channel 50, which beamed its way into our nw OH home, via Detroit. Channel 50 was the best station for kids wanting to watch afterschool tv, and one of the shows they aired, in a syndication run, was The Monkees. Davy Jones was one of the stars of this show. Picture a “Beatles Lite”, that’s what I’ve told my kids when trying to explain the appeal of The Monkees. A silly show, to be sure, full of inane jokes and slapstick antics, but those 4 guys did sing and play their instruments well, well enough to actually have some hit songs in the 1960s. Davy was the British member of the band The Monkees, and the short one(many of the show’s jokes focused on his height), and the cute one; every episode had some plot about Davy falling in love with a girl. He also was the lead singer for the group, sometimes sharing that with bandmate Mickey Dolenz. His sincerity with the character he portrayed on The Monkees shined through, he had wonderful comic timing, and he will always be fondly remembered by me, a fun memory from my childhood.

Andrew Breitbart died, of a sudden heart attack, it appeared. I had just tuned into a cable news network when this stunning news was announced. I couldn’t believe it! Not Breitbart! I quickly texted my husband. We both read a lot of news and mainly get it via online sites. I am a reader and fan of his site, Big Hollywood. I immediately thought of his family, and prayed for them. How awful to lose a husband, and only 43 years old, too. How awful to lose your father when you are still growing up! I am still praying for his wife and children, that they will be able to go on in the days to come. May many of their family and friends rally around them to help in this unenviable task. I have been wondering if the media sites Breitbart created will be able to continue without his guiding hand or intellect? I know they have vowed to go on and I hope that they will. We need their voices out there to compare and contrast with the liberal voices that have been out there for quite a while.

RIP Mr. Jones and Mr. Breitbart. May their loved ones take comfort knowing that their loved ones touched many lives for the better.